Caribbean Governments To Consider Licensing Prostitutes Who Have Hundreds of Sexual Partners Per Month.

Let’s see here… say, a thousand prostitutes licensed at fifty US dollars for the Cricket World Cup. But then, we’ll need the additional health, policing and regulatory infrastructure to monitor the industry. Taxes on the houses of prostitution. Inspectors. Doctors doing scheduled checks. Lab workers.

Yup. It could just work. I smell the flower of an entirely new tax base for Barbados here.

And… oh the fringe benefits for the inspectors!

SHOULD SEX WORKERS be licensed for the 51-day period of next year’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) in order to regulate their activity?

This question is soon to be considered by Caribbean governments.

It is one of the suggestions made at the two-day CARICOM/CWC 2007 Health Sector Sub-Committee meeting of regional health ministers which concluded on Friday at Savannah Hotel, Christ Church.

The proposal will be examined by a select committee.

Winston Williams, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Health, told the SUNDAY SUN on Friday that the issue has to be examined in light of the possible influx of sex workers to the region for the event, and the impact this could have on the populations’ health.

“I have asked the question whether or not licences should be issued for that period of time to sex workers. We have to look at whether it should be legalised because it is a problem that is coming,” said Williams.

The people who want to reconstruct our society to their own very different vision most often do not wear their agendas on their sleeves. They frequently give very reasoned arguments why various laws and social conventions should be ignored – just for some specific worthy purpose. Just this once.

Their message is “Just put aside the rule of law for this one time. This one worthy purpose. It won’t do any harm if the bureaucrats ignore Parliament’s laws, rule of law, the will of the people and hundreds or thousands of years of cultural norms. Just this once.”

One little push at a time, one little change here and there – and society moves a little closer to the ideals of the Socialist Left.

The latest “little push” by the bureaucrats as they sip their martinis at the Savannah Hotel is a move by some to have Barbados and other Caribbean governments license prostitutes “just for the Cricket World Cup” on the pretense that pieces of paper will somehow ward off HIV and other diseases.

Language paves the way to many of these societal changes when leftist members of the media and government agencies change a word here and a term there to further a certain social agenda. Often, sympathetic media will adopt the terminology deliberately coined by one side of an issue – as a method of forwarding an agenda while continuing to provide the appearance of no bias.

Consider the terms “Prostitute” vs “Sex Worker”

“Sex Worker” legitimizes the people and the er, “profession” while “Prostitute” conjurs up a totally different perspective. Legitimate business person vs. diseased criminal.

It’s all in the words, you see. Same person, same activity – just different words.

“The term “sex worker” was coined by long time prostitutes’ rights activist Carol Leigh as a way to designate all those who work in the adult industry.” Online reference… International Sex Worker Foundation…

I imagine it would threaten to prosecute un-registered “sex workers”. And place some recommendations that people only use licensed vendors, for their own safety.
Germany did something similar for the football world cup, apart from prostitution being generally legal in Germany to begin with. I imagine that where they got the idea from.

this is a debate that you can be practical and toss any moral position you have through the window or vice versa. it is a very difficult position and since some would argue that a government/political directorate is not charges with establishing any moral minimum then perhaps the government is doing the correct thing by instituting safe guards to protect the wider population. The problem is simply that a large and diverse inflow of people will descend on the island next year; its notable characteristic is that is will be transient. SHould we do nothing as they descend on our small island because we know that despite wut anybodie say the sex workers will do gud bizness.

In this case we define morality as that which mainstream society deem is acceptable. In this case i would suggest anecdotaly though it might be that the majority of Bajans would want the government to make its resources available to protect the country from the descending fornicators and adulters caused by CWC2007.

I leave you with this edmund Burke mouthing:

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Why do we always feel the need to get into the business of consenting adults . Do you honestly feel that because prostitution is illegal that it will stop people from doing it .In case you dont know all those ladies by Bay Street and Bush Hill aren’t just liming and they certainly aren’t paying themselves.

The most we can really do is to make sure that the ladies involved are of age and not being forced or abused.The best way to do that is by bringing it into the light of legality . We could also work on increasing the opportunities for people so they don’t feel the need to get involved in prostituting themselves in the first place . In the end it is still really up to them . To continue to have it illegal only serves to make some of us seem somehow to feel morally superior. I thought it is to be accepted we should have free will , because something is there doesn’t mean we have to use it or do it.

If we look at homosexuality as well , it too is illegal at least buggery is .This doesn’t stop Barbados being known as Bullbados in many circles. I think we need to move pass legislating everything to fix things . It only makes us look more hypocritical. We need to try to preserve peoples rights and being more loving and understanding to each other.

Popular national destinations for sex tourists include Germany, The Netherlands, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Cuba, Thailand and Cambodia.

While most sex tourists only engage in this activity with other adults, this type of tourism also draws those that look to have sex with young children. Once a destination becomes known for “legalized” sex tourism with adults, those that desire sex with children soon follow.

Prostitution has been around since the beginning of time, and all of us as adults are not naive on that point. Sex is not a subject that is openly discussed – that’s why AIDS is such a global problem today. Prostitution will always be around, but most societies prefer not to see it in their face, and instead like it tucked away in certain neighborhoods.

Making prostitution legal for World Cup will only open the door to more islands in the Caribbean being added to the above list of destinations that are equated with those who are traveling primarily for sex. That changes the definition of your tourist destination, and the type of traveler in your own backyard. Male travelers in these destinations come with the idea that many of the women they see might possibly be a sex partner. It’s not so accepting when its your daughter or sister.

These destinations are not known as being family friendly, and travel agents and travel suppliers make note these destinations could be dangerous for families and women traveling alone.

Of course this is from the tourist point of view. Residents living in these sex tourism destinations have to live with the consequences every day, and children always become involved – make no mistake about that.

Go to Google, and type in barbados sex tourism, you can view the first link as an HTML page

One thing that I find interesting is that people seem to be very concenerned about protecting women, and young men for that matter, from male sexual tourists, but the issue of men as prositutes with female clients is largely ignored in the rhetoric.

Prostitution (like Euthanasia and Cannabis) shoulda bin legal DECADES ago, but alas Barbados is stuck in the Victorian Era,
despite the old Queen having died over a hundred years ago.

So WHAT if prostitution is legal? Will the sky fall?
Grow up,Barbados, for cryin out loud!
Oh… I forgot about the dreaded AIDS to scare ppl away..
(dontcha love how Fear Campaigning works -on morons?)

Look..silly ppl are going to catch AIDS, it’s part of my global plan for Human Population Reduction, a most urgent necessity!

Sweeping things under the carpet
(keeping “undesirable” things illegal)
has NEVER worked well,
but the one thing we learn from experience
is that we don’t learn from experience..
– a human condition, I suspect

‘Prostitution (like Euthanasia and Cannabis) shoulda bin legal DECADES ago, but alas Barbados is stuck in the Victorian Era,
despite the old Queen having died over a hundred years ago.

So WHAT if prostitution is legal? Will the sky fall?
Grow up,Barbados, for cryin out loud!
Oh… I forgot about the dreaded AIDS to scare ppl away..
(dontcha love how Fear Campaigning works -on morons?)’

I second that emotion ( or so goes the sound ) . We could really do with some more of this openmindedness . Educate people properely from early to think for themselves and when they become adults allow them to make decisions for themselves instead of meddling all of the time . Some people always seem to think they know whats right for everybody else . Here a thought though ‘whats good for the goose is not always good for the gander’.Thats why we are indivisuals and indivisual rights to make decisions and be responsible for them need to be ecouraged , at least in my opinion.

Prostitution will exist whether it is legal or not, in reality the fact that prostitution is illegal I am sure is not a huge deterrent for anyone considering entering into the profession, in much the same way that legalising prostitution is unlikely to encourage people!

Prostitution itself is not really the problem. Many of the comments on here make reference to AIDS , so if we accept that prostitution exists and will continue to exist, without legalising the profession how will anybody ever be able to address and manage any of the problems related to it? If as a legal prostitute you are required to ensure protection is used at all times or risk having your licence revoked, you have then started to deal with the problem of sexually transmitted diseases.

Legalising prostitution allows you to control and protect both prostitutes and clients and to successfully manage all of the problems relating to prostitution. If a prostitute right now was to steal a clients wallet/phone/bankcard, it can never be reported as a crime, in the same way that if a client was to assault a prostitute, she or he would never be able to report it.

The problems previously mentioned on this comment page, such as child prostitution and ‘sex tourists’ which currently exist for such places as Thailand, Brazil, China, I do not feel are problems born out of legalising prostitution more so problems that exist as a result of povity.

Barbados is very close to my heart and one of my most favourite places in the world, the last thing I would want to happen there would be for the dynamics of the country to change and for the reputation of the country to be tarnished. I do not think legalising prostitution would do this, bad press about the inevitable problems arising as a result of an unmanaged influx of prostitutes for the CWC is much more likely to do this.

The Government and organisers of the CWC must act and address this issue now, if nothing has been done and any problems arise during the World Cup as a result of prostitution the blame for this will lie with them for not dealing with a problem they were aware existed prior to the event.

What is needed in this discussion is realism. Prostitution has always been and always will be on earth, as long as human society exists. So forget the futile morality lectures. What risks and dangers does prostitution pose? Focus on how to end or ameloriate them. Is there crimminal activity and pimping involved? Then go in like a hammer with the law and policing. Are there people forced by poverty, social exclusion, or whatever other causes to unwillingly or reluctantly engage in the trade of prostitution? Then for heavens sake, find solutions — practical solutions for these problems. Disease spread? Public education, condoms, frequent testing of the prostitutes, and warn against oral sex. Talk and empty moralizing means nothing. Do what is logical. In Germany where prostitution is legal and controlled, the major problems are under control. Up in Canada where the laws are a mismash of premission and puritanical prohibitions, and where racial prejudice and discrimination drives many poor Canadian Native Indian women into prostitution to earn a living, a white pig farmer is on trial for murdering more than sixty native Indian women sex-workers over a 20 year period!! And this is not the only case of its kind in Canada, though not with so large a number of victims. In India and Bangaladesh where caste discrimination keep the “Untouchable” Dalits at the bottom, denied opportunity and treated like as sub human, women from this caste make up between 92% and 97% of the female prostitutes (ironic in light of the fact that they are ‘untouchable’ and most of their customers come from the upper castes). So, in Barbados and other West Indian islands, let logic and perhaps also a charitable spirit prevail. The Moslems say; “God alone is perfect.” So as with Mary Magdalena and Jesus Christ, let us leave judgement to Gabriel at the Pearly Gates and do what good we can here on earth.

The cost of prostitution is very high, in money, hearts and lives. There is no perfect protection against AIDS. Condoms are not 100% effective. I found this out for sure, even before Google, because I got pregnant while using a condom, and sperm is a lot bigger than the AIDS virus. Of course, condoms are better than nothing, but widespread prostitution would add a staggering price to the World cup.

My feeling is, no one is engaging in it now that wouldn’t be if it were legal and the same is true for those not engaging now – I don’t think they’ll suddenly start.

What decriminialising can do is offer structures for its regulation and supervision. This means we make sure all participators are adult and subscribe to certain health practices, etc. and give persons being forced into it or abused a recourse.

I was last in Barbados about 25 years ago on assignment with a top US TV program. We were on our way to Mostique to interview a movie star. We stopped overnight in Barbados to await a flight the next morning to the small island of Mostique.

I was surprised to find young girls (over 18) outside my sleeping quarters asking me “do you want me”? At the time I didn’t.

However, now older and alone, I would seek out a middle aged black female as a companion (not just sex). One who needs a man to take care of her and show her a better life than prostitution and the like.

I’m planning a trip back. Do you think I’m doing the right thing? I’d love to hear some comments and advise about such a move.